Ball skate device



Nov. 28, 1967 (5. m. CAFETER BALL SKATE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledOct. 22, 1965 INVENTOR CEO/1 615 D. C/7/P7ZR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 G.D. CARTER 3,355,185

BALL SKATE DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORGEO/P6750. KAWTH? ATTORNEY United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A skating device with spherical rolling members. Circularrolling members are provided adjacent said spherical members to providelateral support upon inclination of the skating device around thespherical rolling members.

The advantages of using a spherical member for the rolling surface of askate, as opposed to the conventional cylindrical rolling member, liesin the approximation of the sensation when using a spherical member tothat experienced while ice skating. This is so because, with sphericalball rollers, the foot may easily be inclined at an angle other thanperpendicular to the ground, as in the case with ice skates and which isnot possible with conventional roller skates with cylindrical rollingsurfaces. Such inclination of the foot and skate is of particularimportance and assistance in negotiating turns, which can be most easilyand fluidly accomplished if the foot and skate are inclined inwardly toresist the outward thrust of centrifugal force. This factor of relativefreedom of lateral tilting motion, in addition to the generally smootherskating sensation that is provided by the spherical surface, favors theuse of the ball, or sphere, in preference to the cylinder. Nonetheless,practically all skates use the cylindrical type surface. One reason forthis is that the skate with the spherical rolling surface presentsconsiderable difliculty during the learning or training period. 'Until acertain degree of experience has been reached, the users ankle, as withice skates, tends to collapse and this discourages the use of thesphere.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved skatingdevice employing spherical type rolling surfaces.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a ball skateconstruction that will reduce training time.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a ball skateconstruction that will provide rolling support upon inclination of theskate to the ground.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a ski employingspherical type rolling surfaces.

The manner in which these objects are achieved will be readily apparentfrom the embodiments illustrated in the figures hereof and hereinafterdescribed.

FIGURE 1 is a view, in perspective and looking upwardly, of oneembodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment illustrated inFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view, in perspective looking downwardly and partly insection, of another embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken through section A-A of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the sphericalrolling surface of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the skate body 1 includes forward section13 and rear section 15 in a form of telescopic relationship to eachother, which are held in position by bolt 29 and wing nut 31, the bolt29 extending through a hole in forward section 13 and a slot in rearsection 15. Toe fasteners 5 pass through slots on either side of forwardsection 13, the inner tab portions of the fasteners threadedly attachedto bolt 9, which is rotated by means of knob 7 so as to lengthen orshorten the distance between the outer, upwardly extending portions ofthe fasteners. The toe fasteners are used to grip the shoe of the useras it is supported on the top surface of the skate body 1. Front strap17 clips onto slots on the side portions of forward section 13 directlybehind the toe fasteners 5 and fastened over the forward section of theusers shoe. Rear strap 19 is, similarly, attached to heel guard 23 andis fastened over the users instep.

The ball assembly 3 is best shown in FIG. 4. Ball 21 has Teflon insert27 which rides around axle 11. Axle 11 is supported by downwardlyextending, lateral flanges of front section 13 and is maintained inposition by spring clip 25 that passes through a hole in one end of theaxle 11.

The ball assembly 3 is constructed so as to have a central sphericalmember 21 with two disc-like rims 35 on opposite sides thereof, thediameter of rims 35 being smaller than the diameter of the sphericalportion 21. Training wheels 29, preferably of rubber or some suitablyelastic material, are inserted between and around the rims 35 andspherical portion 21 and are assembled in position by snapping over therim 35.

With this construction, the training wheels 29 may be employed untilsuch time as the skater develops sufiicient experience and confidence.It will be appreciated that the training wheel, containing some degreeof elasticity or compressibility, will yield as the skate is inclined,thus providing freedom of inclination while at the same time providingsupport and reassurance to the skater.

Training wheels 29 can be easily removed by disassembling clip 25 andpin 11 and snapping the wheels outwardly over the rims 35. The skate maythen be used with principal reliance by the skater on the ability he hasdeveloped over the period during which he has used the training wheels.However, even after the novice has acquired a measure of experience andhas removed the training wheels 29, he may require some stabilizingassistance, and this is provided by the rims 35 which permit moreinclination of the skate than the training wheels 29, but which stilloffer support upon extreme inclinations of the skate. With continuingusage, the rim diameter will decrease and, as the skater presumably willimprove his skating ability, the decrease in diameter of the rims willconform to the users increased skating proficiency.

Of course training wheels 29, as illustrated, need not be employed andlateral rolling support supplementing and assisting the ball skate canbe provided with a single stabilizing member acting as the trainingwheel and the nm.

A series of holes 55 are provided in the forward section 13 to permitvariable positioning of the forwardly located ball assembly 3 withrelation to forward section 13 and to the users foot. Whereas thetelescopic relationship of front and rear sections 13 and 15 permitsadjustment to fit the size of the users foot, varying of the location ofthe forward ball assembly 3 with respect to the forward section 13provides a means of modifying the skate as appropriate to the usersskill. The most forward location of ball assembly 3 is more stablelongitudinally than the other locations, the skating being increasinglydifiicult as the ball assembly 3 is moved rearwardly.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the ball assembly 3 is illustrated applied to aski runner 43, the ski then being operable on surfaces other than snow,as on sidewalks, driveways, etc. Runner 43 is similar to a standard snowski runner but, in this case, supports axle 11 around which ballassembly 3 rotates. The ball assembly extends beneath and above therunner 43, the upper portion being covered by shield 45 which isattached to the top of the runner.

Heel guard 49, strap 51 and toe plate 47 serve to keep the users foot inposition and secured to the runner 43. Poles 53, similar to the polesused in snow skiing, are employed to propel and direct the skier.

It will be apparent that many embodiments of the ball assembly 3 of thepresent invention can be arranged as, for example, the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 5. Therein, bearings 41 are employed, the inner raceof the bearing extending around the axle 11 (not shown). Outer race 39includes an outer flange comprising the rim while the ball isessentially the single central spherical member 57, which is supportedon the outer race 39 of the bearing 41. Training wheels 33 are, as inthe embodiment of FIG. 4, interposed around and between centralspherical member 57 and rim 39.

Thus, it is to be understood that changes and modifications to theembodiments as illustrated and described may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a skate having rolling means comprising a ball shaped memberrotatably mounted on an axle that is supported by the skate body, theimprovement comprising,

(a) first wheel means adjacent said ball shaped member and rotatablymounted on said axle,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,253,012 8/1941 Benner et al. 28011.l 2,260,027 10/1941 Hotson 28011.1 2,403,885 7/ 1946 Thompson280-713 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,049,182 8/1953 Great Britain. 622 GreatBritain. of 1876 LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner.

1. IN A SKATE HAVING ROLLING MEANS COMPRISING A BALL SHAPED MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON AN AXLE THAT IS SUPPORTED BY THE SKATE BODY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, (A) FIRST WHEEL MEANS ADJACENT SAID BALL SHAPED MEMBER AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE, (B) SECOND WHEEL MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE AND ABUTTING SAID BALL SHAPED MEMBER AND SAID FIRST WHEEL MEANS, (C) SAID FIRST WHEEL MEANS HAVING A RADIUS LESSER THAN THE RADIUS OF SAID BALL SHAPED MEMBER, AND (D) SAID SECOND WHEEL MEANS HAVING A RADIUS GREATER THAN THE RADIUS OF SAID FIRST WHEEL MEANS. 